We started our day cruising through the "Hull Canal" heading to "La Entrada" (the entrance to Bahia Magdalena), one of the five bays or lagoons along the west coast of Baja California Peninsula where the California gray whales come to calve and breed. We spent three days in this amazing gray whale sanctuary, admiring and respecting these beautiful animals. At the south end of the canal, we anchored in a place called "El Barril" and had a chance to go for Zodiac cruises in the mangroves. While most of the guests were cruising on the water, I had a chance to go underwater with our digital camera and explore the mangrove lagoon.
I was impressed to see how productive these waters are, and it is incredible to realize the amount of nutrients that enrich this important ecosystem. Wetlands and mangrove lagoons are a nursing ground for many marine invertebrates and vertebrates as well as for shore birds and nesting sea birds.
Today we humans are realizing the importance of places like this in the world, and that is the reason why there are a few organizations carrying on conservation efforts to protect them. This picture shows you the density of recently hatched fish and shrimp that are starting their lives in this habitat. Soon they will migrate to open waters to continue their life cycles. Good luck in your perilous journey.
